The performance and efficiency requirements for internal combustion engines are becoming increasingly stringent. At the same time, strict statutory provisions require pollutant emissions to be kept low. To this end it is known that internal combustion engines can be provided with adjustment facilities to set a valve overlap between the gas intake valves and gas discharge valves. It is thus possible to increase the torque produced overall by the internal combustion engine and reduce emissions. A valve overlap is the angle range—expressed as the crankshaft angle or camshaft angle—during which both the respective gas intake valve and the respective gas discharge valve enable a corresponding intake or discharge of the cylinder.
Internal combustion engines are also known, with which the individual cylinders are disposed in two lines. Such internal combustion engines are also known as V-engines. With such V-engines three cylinders are for example disposed on one cylinder line and a further three cylinders on a further cylinder line. In addition to low-emission operation and the high level of torque, which should be produced by such internal combustion engines, it is also a challenge to configure such internal combustion engines in such a manner that user-friendly operation is possible.